Cetric de Cornusiac

Don't you think we do that? Anyway, there has to be means to remove the spies once you detect them. You also would not recommend to use your arms for walking if your legs are sore from parasites. You have to remove them for healing. Period.

Don't underestimate the community. The focus on fight is a good sales argument, but adding other content of any kind, even generic, is even a greater sales argument. As possessed fighters from time to time will crave for something else, for a change. We have to bring people away from brute violence and encourage alternative play styles without having to sacrifice what is standard in genre and expectation.

I don't think a spy could be working so long and so undisputedly in the service of a nation, that he gets elected into the Supreme Court. And to new players I don't think they would grant the honor. So reputation acts as a protection against electing the wrong guys into the board. Even if it is such master spy who could establish such trust that he got the job of a national judge, he would need several of his sort to cooperate for finding a majority - for sentencing the 'good guys' as you imagined. In such case the nation is totally doomed anyway.

Another idea for making First Rates rare and increase the use of anything below maximum size would be: Introduce a new mission type, which is in fact a mini-campaign each. Not just one mission, but three or so linked together, similar like the tutorial missions but with a storyline. The game would measure how well you performed in that mini-campaign a.k.a. "Admiralty recognition mission". Performance brings you 'Admiralty recognition marks' which is measuring your influence within the supreme naval administration of your country [and Pirates should not have it, as they are not organized like a nation]. Certain 2nd rates and 1st rate ships will be only obtainable for a number of 'admirality recognition marks', as the Admirality tends to give expensive top notch battle ships only to proven professionals with some promise to bring back the ship in one piece and to win battles with it. After having obtained the commission (similar to the permits we have), you can build the related ship. Those marks get used up and you need to do new missions of this type for gaining new ones. Which assures it does not happen in the next minute or hour, but takes more time and effort for your next supersized ship. Good against inflation. OK, here you have another carrot, if you don't like restrictions but ask for carrots to motivate people who are aspiring to reach SOL assignments.

Everyone knows national chat is an unsafe place for mentioning tasks, places or discoveries of safety-related importance. Because there are spies. Usually - and this is another alt-account problem - it is someone who mainly plays for another nation and chose his alt to be a national in his target nation so he can listen to what's going on where. And exploit the fact he cannot be attacked, no way. Yes, we know some names in NA French community which are considered to be spies. I won't mention names here. Such person does not interact with the community much, he likes to stay unnoticed. But you find him in small vessels in front of port battles or on major trade routes where he is monitoring ship traffic, fleet composition, movements and all that kind which he submits to his friends in the enemy nation. For the damage of the nation he infiltrated and parasitized. We need a weapon to deal with such persons. Of course I know you will say "In love and war, all means are legitible" or remind me that the alt account is sacred because he paid for the game when he put the alt into the game. So the method could not be a removal of that account. However, you cannot expect a nation to live with spies it cannot touch because the appropriate measures are missing. So, what to do? I suggest a national council where such known persons can be trialed and excluded from the nation. Yes, this is one of the possibilities where you could use a 'special permanent group' as I proposed yesterday; let's call it the 'Supreme Court of the Nation' here (just for example). They collect info on the suspected spy and confront him with the evidence. If the doubts are not dispersed, they sentence him to leave the nation. The spy will then become a Pirate and no longer belong to the nation he parasitized. Because Pirates are nothing less than the criminals of the high seas, so it should not be a big surprise he has to join them. Alt account isn't touched beyond that. Game mechanics for this suggestion needs the permanent group founding feature implemented which I talked about, plus a basic voting system for the Supreme Court judges, with a majority of voices having the effect of shifting the alt account's nationality from current nation to Pirates, mandatory. And by the way, the Supreme Court could also handle other issues within the community of one country. Could relieve the tribunal here in forum of some minor cases which are taking place within a nation.

Or less marks for sinking and more marks for capturing and delivering to Admiralty. They ought be glad for any contribution to the war effort.

Which can be used for anything. Your fantasy is the limit. -- I just hope I will not be made responsible after an implementation when they swap porn in such group. "Naughty 18th century wenches illustrated for the lonely seafarer" and such...

(1) One person founds a 'special permanent group', if I may use this expression as we have no other. (2) He informs others of the purposes of that group and invites them. They join. The purpose of that group is not compatible with that of a standard clan, it is for a task, basically for communication beyond clan borders. (3) Members elect a moderator for that group if it isn't automatically the founder. (4) Maybe a pull down menu for all groups of that sort in one nation. You chose the one you want to make messages in. Maybe only the ones you are member of are visible, for everything else you would have to be invited first. (5) Group stays permanent in that pull down menu until all members left or the moderator cancelled the group. (6) Bulletin board of that 'special permanent group' presents content which stays there as basic info, does not vanish like chat messages after restart. Edited by moderator. -- Hope this helps.

Have no idea what this is. You ask for more details on the mechanical design. Sorry, I am no programmer. I perceive things from view of an average player. But I am confident commentators in this thread may enlighten us with further design ideas how this could be implemented. I'd be happy for means of more versatile communication tools. Clans are fine, but they have particular interests which sometimes are even in conflict with those of the nation. Like for example what we have seen recently among the Dutch who were either pro Sweden cooperation or against, determing their relations with France. I am hoping for communication tools which are not bound to clan membership and are also not open to everyone, as there is some secrecy necessary for some planning. Say, there is a group of traders (from various clans) who serve on an established trade route. Again and again they are looking for other traders to team up for convoi. Now if they all would be in a 'special group' for that trade route, they could easily negotiate the next convoi to start, without giving in national chat the hint to spy as where to strike for their alt account in a hostile nation. (and about spies I will soon make another suggestion)

I know. Trouble is the current group forming is temporary and vanishes with every restart of the game or your disconnecting. Actually my suggestion can be melted down to a concept of "multiple clan membership options", while the clan still stays a clan and your second, third, and so forth memberships serve other purposes than your clan's. Like I said: you are also a trader, a member of coast guard, a customer for things being manufactured, and what else... And those special purpose groups have a bulletin board which is not wiped with every restart of the game. Deleting things there is done by group founder or elected chairman. Most prominent use is this what I talked of as 'round table' for the clan leaders of one nation for meeting conveniently in the game. For discussing strategy for all clans combined.

Players are organised in nations. Nations are organised in clans, and some independent free-lancers aside. For temporary purposes, we can join in ship groups and battle groups. What is missing here? The possibility to team up across clans for various purposes. Examples for such groups: I am thinking of a sort of "round table" where all clan leaders/representatives of one nation assemble for discussing the interests of their nation. It is rather difficult to do this without forming a group, you have to address each one personally, or you evade into means outside the game, like teamspeak or a Steam group. Would be easier to have a message board ingame for any group you create. Other purposes could be trader or interceptor groups who are planning to form convois or squadrons, without regard to which particular clan one is belonging. Or a shipwright and his customers, beyond clan borders. The founder of that group can also dissolve it again, while invited members can leave when they want. Pretty much how battle groups are functioning now. This 'special interest grouping' should stay intact after logging off, being as permanent as a clan. Clan forming is no solution for this what I am suggesting here, because you can only be member of one clan and that's it. There are more reasons for communicating, though, than inside chat of your clan. The national chat is no good idea because there are spies. Don't see why we should be limited to just one membership. Make it multiple.

I still don't get it why the ultimate goal for NA should be to ride on a fat duck. It's not my goal. We have all the variety you could think of and that's fine. However, and this has been repeated by a number of commentators, the biggest ship has to stay the rarest ship and give you awe when you meet it. It does not have to be necessarily weaker than it is now, or 2nd rates and 3rd rates stronger, it just has to become the exception. People who will command First Rates will both being honored by their nation and feel the weight of responsibility, because their performance in port battles, when there are only a handful of First Rates involved, will determine more than ever the outcome. Isn't that honor, to be given the post of a rare First Rate commission, by one's clan, more attractive for playing the game and staying faithful to it, than the indifference people feel now with playing around with many First Rates as they could possibly build? I am not sure if more material requirements are the solution to thin out the field of First Rates. Clan warehouses have been piling up stuff for years and still could spill out First Rates no matter how many logs and provisions you need to have in stock for building them.

Your underestimation of the opponent is the start of your failure, remember this. I was there and I am European. Others did the same, ignoring the late hour. If your side is stricken in particular interests of clans and can't think of another motivation, learn from the national unity of France.

Another argument for giving limited slots to clans for First Rates: The need for cooperation between clans would be dramatically improved. No more tensions and hostility inbetween clans of same nation. For better chances at port battles and fielding most of the legitimate First Rates of the nation, they would be forced to more cooperation than ever. The idea of being a nation rather than just a clan has to be enforced.

Last night the series of recent defeats ended. France achieved glorious victories over American attacks on Cano Araguao and Aransas - and this in the middle of the night in Europe, with minimal losses (including me, due to collision). Basically screen fleet dispersed the American aggressors right at approach to Cano. Hope someone can provide a battle result picture for Cano, I can provide only a snapshot. Here begins the path to the recapturing of Puerto de Espagna. [Video by American player MarkusBarak seems not to work - I took the link out again]

You did not understand my critics about the perceived inflation of First Rates in the game. Anyone can have one, after being able to command enough crew, which is only a matter of time. It is not difficult to make money as well, so all this combined leads to the ahistorical inflation of many, too many First Rates. As someone said, and I agree, they thus lose their "extraordinary" character. So that makes them 'cheap'. Easy access, easy replacement, full warehouses spilling out materials to build them... I insist on using the word 'cheap'. Or, if you care to look on the 'used ship market', a L'Ocean is available for about 5 million. Clans give them out for free to their members if expansion is on the schedule. Cheap.

Believe me, I know what you mean. I have the same feeling when I craft an Endymion. And it is much more fun to use than big dick symbols, if moderator excuses that expression for a change to 'fat duck'.

People here always complain about ideas pushing off players from the game. What about people being pushed off by the omnipresent overkill by cheap masses of First Rates as we have them now? Does not matter if in the hand of mighty clans or single players. And it is the pro player who is sitting on a fat duck primarily. He will hardly "leave the game" because he will be the one who most likely will still sit on it, after this proposed reform. Make smaller craft great again.

I am sure for all these secondary problems there will be suitable satisfying solutions once we together think it over and evaluate the pro's and con's.

Also fine idea.

If it is just for the self-esteem of sailing them, then do it on PvE Server where they would not cost anything. Restrictions. Every good game has restrictions. We also have them. You don't get upgrades until you have accomplished the necessary combat marks to achieve them from Admirality. You don't sit immediately in big fat ducks because first you have to climb the career ladder to command enough crew. You need to collect enough money until you can buy things. -- So why suddenly you have a problem with restrictions? The more restricted the more there will be a reward feeling when you finally are entrusted with a First Rate!

We can still discuss a more democratic distribution of First Rate slots per nation, other than preferring the largest clans. But as the massive ships would be so expensive, it is only logical to see them in the hands of the richest clans. And I don't think the average player does miss much fun in the game if the fat ducks stay out of reach for him (until he is a trustful member of a clan - and did we not read about Admin's plans to encourage more the membership in clans? So here is one lure.), he still has a wonderful vast array of ship models to enjoy sailing with.

When you go take a break, simply sell the First Rate to another one in your clan. It isn't that difficult. Your less-than-3rd rate would not cost you anything so they wait faithfully for your return to game.

I know I will start here an unpopular suggestion. Many guys just love the feeling of sitting in fat ducks blowing up everything up in range of their multiple max cannon decks. Nothing wrong with the feel of invincibility and power. But how often and how easy? And at the expense of what other game content? -- Let's face it: the enormous costs of building and maintaining a first rate ship-of-the-line is not portrayed in the game properly. Anyone with a dockyard large enough and sufficient warehouse stock can build one or several SOL a day, especially when he has the support of his clan. We see in the hand of some major clans more First Rates than whole nations had in 18th century, and this is just one theater of operations (the Caribbean), while those nations had to distribute their naval power over several theaters, mainly Europe. So what we get in the game is inflation of First Rates - determining always the same maxed out composition of battle fleets in port battles. And as the SOL are so cheap, we even see ganking groups consisting of SOLs, which is absolutely ridiculous nonsense in naval authenticity. Why? Because SOL are for navy battles only and they were extremely expensive. Their lacking speed did not make them suitable for economy war. The inflation of this overuse of fat ducks has undesirable side effects: other ship ranks become less significant. Almost nobody cares to build 2nd, 3rd rates - not to speak of 4th rate and lower, because fat ducks are so cheap and give the maximum fire power. So versatility suffers from the overuse. Tactics melt down to just brute force and nothing else matters. Who brings in more First Rates will win, who produces more a day keeps the upper hand. Short glimpse back into history: First Rates were so expensive that just for being able to add one to the royal fleet, all merchants and businesses of a city would collect their money and sponsor a single ship, which would then gratefully bear the name of that city, for example "Ville de Paris". Navy reformer Duke de Choiseul went around France to encourage cities and regions to follow the example so the King would have enough ships. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ship_Ville_de_Paris_(1764) If historically correct, a reduction of number of SOLs in Naval Action would altogether prove to be profitable for gameplay. We would see more options for setting up fleets for various purposes and other rates than the First would see a renaissance. How could this be implemented? An idea would be to give each nation a maximum number of First Rates, distributed as slots between all clans of that nation. So, if there would be a max number of 25 First Rates for one nation and six clans with, say, more than ten active members in the last month, each clan would get the Royal allowance to contribute four First Rates and the rest (1) by one of the smaller clans. Maybe this would lead to less port battles or just another composition of battle fleets participating there. A single port battle would gain importance. That's fine, because so often they really did not take place in real life. Another idea, could be parallel with the first idea mentioned, has been touched already in this forum and I am all for it: having to pay maintenance for the largest ships, no matter if they are moored in docks or 'parked' in ship market. So you think twice before building them en masse. First Rates must cost daily money, and Second and Third Rates also, but to a lesser degree. Third idea in that context is to introduce a cost inflicting each time to the owning clan when their First Rate gets sunk. They were highly prestigious symbols of power. A loss of a First Rate ship-of-the-line was felt as national tragedy. Not like in this game, where you shrug your shoulders and simply build another one. This 'prestige loss' could be expressed by deduction of marks, victory or PvP, to all clan members whose clan had that national slot for a First Rate which got sunk. A malus for the clan comparison ladder. Effect: eagerness to keep the First Rate alive at all costs. Smaller ships would be commissioned to protect the valuable First Rate - that's absolutely historic. Second Effect: enemy is even more keen on sinking First Rates, because then it would have consequences for the losing side beyond just another ship gone.

1st: Don't know why this guy DesMoines should speak for the French nation. I have no idea what his ingame name is. What I do know, however, is that our diplomacy goes far beyond this simplistic view. Remember, diplomacy was invented in France. Yes, there are agreements, if DesMoines honors them or not. Last days I have two times abstained from attacking Dutch ships we encountered, in conjunction with our national chat public opinion, for sake of those assumed diplomatic ties. But what is left of that now? 2nd: The bay of Puerto de Espagna is no 'carebear zone' (none of reinforcements, if you mean that), it's a rather hot spot due to raiders. Now even more because with the Swedes all brutes suddenly sniff their lucky hour to create trouble there. Right this day. Apparently you speak of things you don't know. 3rd: Wasn't it you, Sir, who called one week ago not to participate in that Russian intrigue as to stir up other nations for causing a multiflip of French ports? So, actually I had the impression from that proclamation you belong to the civilized friends of France. I would deplore if that were not the case...